CO-04 (Special Election) See Full Big Line

(R) Greg Lopez

(R) Trisha Calvarese

90%

10%

President (To Win Colorado) See Full Big Line

(D) Joe Biden*

(R) Donald Trump

80%

20%↓

CO-01 (Denver) See Full Big Line

(D) Diana DeGette*

90%

CO-02 (Boulder-ish) See Full Big Line

(D) Joe Neguse*

90%

CO-03 (West & Southern CO) See Full Big Line

(D) Adam Frisch

(R) Jeff Hurd

(R) Ron Hanks

40%

30%

20%

CO-04 (Northeast-ish Colorado) See Full Big Line

(R) Lauren Boebert

(R) Deborah Flora

(R) J. Sonnenberg

30%↑

15%↑

10%↓

CO-05 (Colorado Springs) See Full Big Line

(R) Dave Williams

(R) Jeff Crank

50%↓

50%↑

CO-06 (Aurora) See Full Big Line

(D) Jason Crow*

90%

CO-07 (Jefferson County) See Full Big Line

(D) Brittany Pettersen

85%↑

 

CO-08 (Northern Colo.) See Full Big Line

(D) Yadira Caraveo

(R) Gabe Evans

(R) Janak Joshi

60%↑

35%↓

30%↑

State Senate Majority See Full Big Line

DEMOCRATS

REPUBLICANS

80%

20%

State House Majority See Full Big Line

DEMOCRATS

REPUBLICANS

95%

5%

Generic selectors
Exact matches only
Search in title
Search in content
Post Type Selectors
September 17, 2012 09:29 PM UTC

Mitt Romney On Road to Craterville?

  • 20 Comments
  • by: Colorado Pols

It has not been a good couple of days for Republican Presidential hopeful Mitt Romney, whose campaign seems to be teetering on the edge of falling into the dreaded “crater” from which candidates never emerge. Our friends at “The Fix” run down the problem(s):

Evidence of campaign infighting has put Mitt Romney in a place that no candidate wants to be with just 50 days left before an election – caught between re-tooling a message that appears to be flagging and the inevitable “Is the campaign imploding?” questions that such a strategic shift will cause.

In the wake of a Politico story that detailed campaign strife largely aimed at Romney lead political strategist Stuart Stevens, the campaign held a conference call this morning led by former Republican National Committee Chairman Ed Gillespie designed to stamp out the story – and make clear that his candidate is going to start talking more specifically about his own plan to turn the economy around…

…While Gillespie didn’t face any direct questions about the Politico story, the piece loomed over the call; at the start of the call, Gillespie touted the party’s strong convention – in a seeming direct response to the allegations made in the Politico story that it had been a comedy of errors. (“What’s a big deal is they are behind and blew the convention,” said one senior Republican operative granted anonymity to speak candidly about the Romney effort.)

To be clear: Average people almost certainly have no idea that the Romney campaign is facing inner turmoil. But, the Republican activist and donors bases as well as – most importantly – the party’s political professional class certainly do.

Given that reality, to do nothing in the face of the criticism of the campaign would be to ensure further criticism, which, in turn, would fuel more stories about the Romney campaign in disarray. (Hello vicious cycle!)

NBC News expands on the problems:

Handwringing about Romney, especially among conservatives, many of whom have never fully embraced Romney, is nearing a fever pitch. RedState editor Erick Erickson wrote Monday that Romney “has failed to close any deal with the voters and his message is so muddled no voter really knows what they are getting.”  The posting by Erickson also predicted that Obama would win the election if it were held today.

While “The Fix” is correct that average voters probably aren’t aware of Romney’s escalating problems, that doesn’t mean it isn’t dangerous for Republicans. In politics, as in much of life, perception is reality; if the perception grows that Romney is starting to crater, then more and more Republicans will repeat that fear until it becomes self-fulfilling. Some, like RedState editor Erick Erickson, may only be looking for a reason to abandon ship.

There was a perception among many Republicans in the fall of 1996 that Senator Bob Dole was just not going to be able to beat President Bill Clinton. The circumstances with Romney are certainly different, but the perception problem is not. Romney’s campaign must plug the infighting leak and kill the perception that there is a serious problem — and fast — before that narrative begins to take hold. It doesn’t take long for supporters to lose their enthusiasm, or worse, give up hope altogether that Romney can beat Obama.

Tweet
Share

Comments

20 thoughts on “Mitt Romney On Road to Craterville?”

  1. is that instead of missteps by the Romney campaign, the public has heard his message and met the man and they are now voting Obama.  

    A suckee candidate with a stale message isn’t going to move many voters at this stage of the campaign.

      2. Mitt Romney says you’re not voting for him because you don’t pay taxes and you’re a welfare mooch !  Wah !

        I think people will be receptive to that.  Lets call it the complete asshole strategy.

  3. the Affordable Care Act gets implemented and it’s good bye repeal for at least four years.

    The stakes have never been higher and Republicans chose to run this a horse race with a dressage gelding.

  4. Hardly, Willard’s just re-introducing himself to the American voters . . . after having re-introduced himself during that magnificent convention.

    Everything’s coming up roses here . . . another shake and a couple more knob turns on this here etch-a-sketch and we’ll have this victory in the bag . . .

    (That’s two now ArapaGOP — I hope you appreciate how difficult this is for me.)

  5. …..but they intuitively know that something is very wrong with the management of this campaign.  And if they can’t manage a campaign, how can they manage a country?

    This is probably lurking behind the disastrous non-policies, contradictions, and yes, a pretty good hard hitting campaign by Obama.

    Nate Silver has the electoral college at 306 to 232.  Ouch.  

  6. I wanted this to stay close to help the GOTV.  Dwyer has a point that if the politically aware think this is in the bag, people stay home. Voter suppression remains the biggest obstacle to the President’s reelection.

    The lack of turnout will also hurt down ballot elections as well and I tend to focus more on the state house than most.

    Finally, as the rats begin pointing fingers as they scurry off the Romneya Doia, the money will flow in to the congressional and senate races where it will impact the outcome.

    1. The mega-millions that have been poured into negative ads against Obama haven’t moved the meter much if at all so you might be overstating the impact that this “freed” up money will have on down ballot races.

      The thing is that Republicans need a Trifecta of control of the legislative and executive branches to repeal the Affordable Care Act.  If they abandon Romney then they have no chance for repeal what is their primary mission for this election cycle which would be devastating to their party that they can’t give up on the guy.  He is Dan Maes at the national level and the results from that last excursion into extremism doesn’t bode well for this effort.

      1. if those donating big bucks to Rmoney stop donating there they will be likely to switch to donations to R candidates for House and Senate. But, they would have to ake that decision in the next couple of weeks

  7. …or that of his other vulture capitalists.

    The courts to rape workers.

    The military to keep pesky others away, and that oil flowing through the Straits of Hormuz.

    To make the Salt Lake City Olympics viable.

    The police to keep those 99%’ers away from his several homes and car elevators.

    The write off for his wife’s dressage horses, the tax burden of which must be made up by baristas at Starbucks.

    Oh, no, I don’t use the government!

    Fucking Republican hypocrites!

    1. ….that the federal pension insurance program replaces monies that he and his Bain vultures have stolen from the workers, said funds to be paid for all the peons everywhere.  

Leave a Comment

Recent Comments


Posts about

Donald Trump
SEE MORE

Posts about

Rep. Lauren Boebert
SEE MORE

Posts about

Rep. Yadira Caraveo
SEE MORE

Posts about

Colorado House
SEE MORE

Posts about

Colorado Senate
SEE MORE

262 readers online now

Newsletter

Subscribe to our monthly newsletter to stay in the loop with regular updates!